More to Skiing and snowboarding, snowmobiling, snowshoeing, cross-country skiing, ice fishing, & pond skating. Pick your winter sport, but be conscious of safety regulations and good old common sense by following these safety tips for outdoor winter sports:
Cell phone, walkie-talkies & mini-flares: Always have at least one of these on you while roaming on a winter sports adventure. Even though phone coverage can be inconsistent in ski areas it is important to carry one anyway! Walkie-talkies are shorter ranged but most ski resorts have them for rent so make sure to get a set to stay in touch. Flares are a good signaling device just in case you get into trouble in a snow bank or hurt and in an out of heavy traffic areas.

Solar glare: Sunlight glaring off the white of snow can be blinding causing you to lose balance or bump into someone causing an accident. Solar glare can also cause sunburn to the whites of your eyes, which can be painful. So either wear sunglasses with protective lenses or non-fogging goggles made with solar glare lenses. Nothing worse than having goggles fog up while skiing. Want to see where you are going guys!
Weatherproof watch: You need to be able to keep track of time while you are out there having fun.
Water, sunscreen & Chap Stick: Hook a water bottle on to your ski jacket or zip it in one of your pockets. Keep hydrate. Think you are out in the snow you don’t need water? Think again! Dry and cracked lips can shorten your fun time and be painful for days so make sure to remember the sunscreen and Chap Stick.
Safety clothes & guards:  Helmets are an absolute must have; make sure it is properly secured on your head, not around your neck! Also make sure that you wear a knitted cap directly on your head before placing the helmet on. This will help not only keep the helmet cushioned on your head but also your body heat inside close to your body. Spend the time to get properly fitted in fishing gear, snow pants, toe warming socks (I love those things. I wear them around the house). Dress in layers and find snug fitting gloves with Velcro wrist tightness. Make sure a professional properly fits you with comfortable ski boots, and snowshoes. No, your big brother, weekend Dads or Moms who may know how to fit you are not the professionals I am suggesting. But this is just a suggestion!
There are all kinds of new technology out there for thin insulated materials to make your body movements enjoyable so that you not constricted with bulky clothing.  Getting frost bitten burns and is no fun to recover from. Let us not see a YouTube video or Twitter posting about you losing a finger or toe to frost bite. OK?
Pond skating: Make sure the weather has been cold enough for at least a weak before attempting to skate on a pond. Please call the local authorities to ask permission to skate on a lake or pond. Make sure you get your skates properly sharpened before skating on raw lake or pond ice. Wear knee and elbow guards.
Having fun means balancing common sense safety practice with your desire to have the thrill and excitement of doing the sport. Think Safety, because life has no reset button!

Yovette Mumford, Executive Director of the non-profit www.safetyissues.com, mother of three, attorney, inventor of safety medical products at www.safetymedicals.com, writer, lives in New England.

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